DAY 4: Twenty Miles and a Zillion Flowers – A PHOTO JOURNAL

Observation of the day: HM – no matter where you go, the Dutch are master French fry makers. 

VM– the Dutch are stunning people -- young, old and in-between. Between their height, mixed heritage and overall fitness due to riding bikes EVERYWHERE, they are just beautiful. And all that biking pays off as we experienced many 70-year-olds+ passing us up in the bike lanes today. They are just out living!

HM: At 8am, we promptly rolled out of bed with encouragement from our alarms. VM made it out of her room and to the bathroom much faster than me, but I eventually followed. Knowing we had a full day of exercise ahead of us, we each began going through our morning routines and comparing outfits to ensure we were best equipped for Holland’s famous tulips and ever-changing weather.

After double and triple checking we were set, we locked up our charming houseboat and headed toward Nieuwmarkt’s metro station. A quick, one-stop ride brought us outside the doors of Amsterdam Centraal, the main train station VM and I have become quite comfortable with. We quickly purchased our train tickets and, realizing we needed provisions before leaving for Haarlem, made our way to Starbucks. (No judgments—it was quick, easy, and familiar!)

Our train adventure took us to Haarlem.
Now we know where New York's Harlem
got its name!

Two coffees and breakfast sandwiches later, VM and I found ourselves rocking gently with the train as we made our way to Haarlem. Quaint towns and rural fields dotted the landscapes making the short 20-minute train ride all the more enjoyable.

VM can't get enough of the blue and white ceramics. It's even in the train station!

Once arriving to Haarlem’s central station, we made the short one-block walk to the bike shop, which VM had made a reservation with the night before. With two yellow bikes, one map, and advice from a matter-of-fact bike shop manager, VM and I began the 10-mile ride to Keukenhof (https://keukenhof.nl/en/#plan-uw-bezoek) a Dutch floricultural showcase dating back to the 15^thcentury (or, in other words, a really beautiful Central Park-ish park located in an Amsterdam suburb).

Clever signage at our bike rental shop!

The village of Haarlem was charming. Bay windows everywhere let
us peek in to many homes as owners (and their pets) soaked in the sun.

The two red lanes are bike lanes which are also used by
scooters. The one lone center lane is for cars coming in BOTH
directions. Somehow, the Dutch just make it work & are
extremely courteous drivers. No honking or cussing.

Along the journey to Keukenhof, we encountered many inviting houses, bay windows with sunbathing cats, a sweet beagle, and lots and lots of flowers! The ride was stunning. The charm and beauty of the Dutch countryside is hard to convey with words. VM and I were both grateful to have foregone tour buses, for bikes. Between seeing the pride these Dutch farmers had for their heritage to seeing the locals enjoying the many fields, we were grateful to experience the authentic Netherlands. And after a few more picture stops in the country fields, VM and I pulled up to Keukenhof.

Boy, we were not disappointed. Not only does this amazing park house many breathtaking and unique exhibits by local Dutch florists, but it also welcomes dogs! Between meeting new fur babies and gawking at tulip arrangements, VM and I knew each mile was worth it.

In addition to the flowers and pups, Keukenhof served delicious fresh Dutch strawberries with cream as well as homemade strawberry ice cream, which both VM and I indulged in for lunch. The few hours spent at this park were without a doubt a trip highlight for both of us.

Checking out the blooms.

The Dutch are very generous with their fields. They allow you to take pictures for free & with no supervisionbut ask that you be respectful. We found that most people were with only a few exceptions.

A flower among the flowers.

The vistas are just undescribable.

And it's not just tulips -- these are hyacinths.

Remembering our 6pm curfew given to us by our bike rental company, we departed from the park, but not before saying goodbye to some of our new dog friends: Eli, Jenna, and Luna (pics are below).

Every once in awhile, you catch a glimpse of a "rogue"
bloom in the country fields not within this year's color scheme. It's fun to imagine
how long ago it was planted and by who or if someone just messed up
at the bulb sorting plant!

On the way back to Haarlem, Apple Maps showed us the more cosmopolitan side of Amsterdam’s suburbia. Although we found it a little more stressful, it was exciting to see a different path making the 10-mile journey back as intriguing as the first.

Upon arriving back to our shop, we turned over our bikes and decided to head back to the train station as we wanted our last meal in Netherlands to be in Amsterdam.

VM: HM captured it all! It was just a big WOW day and we are so grateful to have experienced it. Mother Nature is unbelievable and the Dutch know how to pay homage to her. All day long we thought of Aba, Nana Donny and Cristina who love, love, love flowers. And of course, we loved all the dogs we got to meet.

Now, if you’re not a flower person, you may want to stop here. We took so many amazing photos, we couldn’t cull it down! Tomorrow we have an early train to Paris where we pick up our rental car to head to Giverny. Please pray for us. 

We came upon this site while the town's church bells rang in the background. Heavenly.

Even the Dutch visit the tulip beds to take photos. We enjoyed watching this Dutch beauty pose among the bulbs as her boyfriend snapped pictures. We imagined she might be building a portfolio as the young ladies here are simply gorgeous.

We made it even though we had trouble pronouncing it.

We immediately knew we were going to love this park when we spotted this little fellow
raring to go!

        

Best darn lunch ever.

 

HM took this picture for her "Aba" -- look closely at the name of this special variety of tulip.

Eli and Jenna patiently posed while their owner (and geeky tourists like us!) took many snaps
of these two cuties. They were the sweetest pair. Their friend, Luna, would not sit still for a photo.

Four-year-old Picasso had the longest lashes ever.
HM told him that she pays good money for lashes like that!

She had many new friends join her.

HM was determined to cross these stepping stones.

She even helped some of them capture their own memories.

And it paid off with this!

 

Still standing after biking 20 miles, walking more than 25,000 steps and going up 9 floors!

RANDOM PIC OF THE DAY

Wonder how the Dutch take their bikes everywhere?
Note the "bike" rail on the left of this picture used for wheeling bikes up and down the stairs.
You find this on many staircases here. Snapped this in the Haarlem train station.